Smoking Club Takes To The Air

April 10, 1988|The New York Times

On April 23, federal law bans smoking on domestic flights of two hours or less. The day before that, a group of cigarette smokers in Texas will start their own all-smoking flights. Eventually, the group hopes to set up a national air travel system for smokers.

``We`ve gotten tired of being pushed around by the anti-smoking segment,`` said Glenn Herndon, president of the Great American Smokers Club, who with two other inveterate smokers founded the club.

The club will charter two jets to make a total of 10 daily flights between Dallas and Houston. ``Only members of our club are allowed to fly on them,`` said Herndon. The group has ``several thousand`` members so far, Herndon said. ``We`re getting a lot of help from tobacco groups around the country. They`re providing names of known smokers.``

Seats on the charter flights will be sold at ``the exact fares that the competition is charging -- $59 at peak times and $42 off-hours,`` Herndon said. The club was scheduled to start taking reservations Wednesday.

Service between Houston and New Orleans and between Dallas and Oklahoma City is also soon to start, he said. In time, the club hopes to charter flights out of Las Vegas, Boston, Chicago and Atlanta. ``Anyplace they have flights less than two hours,`` said Kay Cohlmia, another of the founders.

The club`s annual fee is $20, but there is a special rate of $10 through May 15.